Gripping device for well-boring apparatus.



Patented June 1 2 S H EET SS H G. S. MYERS.

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APPUCATIO 1,143,430. Patented June 15, 1915. 2 EEEEEEEEEEEE 2.

awoemtou Gezwfgc Al en? the said rotary including a s rear GEORGE S.MYERS, ELECTRA,

TEXAS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 15, 1915.

Application filed April 24, 1914. Serial N 0. 834,189.

To all whom it may concern; 7

Be it known that I, GEoRcnS. MYERS, a citizen of the United States,residing at Electra, in the county of Wichita and State of Texas, haveinvented new and useful Improvements in Gripping Devices for Well-Boring Apparatus, of which the following is a specification. j

his invention relates to gripping devices for well boring apparatus, andparticularly to a novel an improved construction of rotary gripping ringor jaw for gripping apparatus of this character.

e present invention appertains especially to that class of well drillingapparatus in which a gripping mechanism, commonly known as a rotary ,isemployed, turn table carry mg adjustingdevices rotatably supporting egripping rings or jaws, whiclrengage the well tubing ordrill stem andcause it to rotate with the table, while permitting longitudinalmovement of the stem or tube when a hard formation of strata isencountered. 1.

The gripping devices heretofore employed have consisted of plain ringsof tool steel, mounted in opposed pairs on the adjusting devices atopposite sides of the turn table, the inner edges of which rings areadapted to engage and grip the interposed stem or Well tube projectingdownward through an opening in the table. These rings, owing to wear orthe presence of soft spots, lose their gripping power in a comparativelyshort period of time, owing to the dulling or wearing oil of theirbiting edges. This requires their frequent removal from the turn tableand dressing down to present new gripping edges, at a sacrifice of timeand expense, and after the rings have worn to some extent they can nolonger be employed and must be discarded as useless.

The object of my invention is to provide a novel construction of rotarygripping device wherein the gripping rings are so arranged that aftertheir surfaces in use have been worn down to a maximum degree the ringsmaybe reversed in a ready d convenient manner to present new surfacesfor use. a

The invention consists of the features of construction, combination andarrangement of parts herein f y described and claimed,

the turn table of the pipe-rotary, havin ing th their sides andperipheral reference being had to the accompanying drawings in whichtion of my improved rotary gripping device. Fig. 4: is a horizontaltransverse section through the same. Fig. 5 is a vertical section on theline 5-5 of Fig. 4:.

Referring to the drawings, 1 designates the usual central aperture 2tical passage of the well tube 3, which table carries at diametrlcallyopposite sides the adjusting members 4: carrye gripping devices 5. Asshown in the present instance, these adjusting devices may be in theform of screw shafts, each having right and left hand threads for relatively adjusting the gripping devices thereon toward and fromeach other,the gripping devices being arranged inpairs in the usual manner.adjusting the shafts may be employed. a Instead of employing screwshafts, the gripping devices may be loosely mounted upon supportingrods, and may be adjusted in any other known manner. I have not deemedit necessary to specifically describe any particular form of supportingand adjusting means, as such constitutes no'part of the presentinvention.

Each gripping device 5 consists, in accordance with my invention of apair of spaced rings 6, made of tool steel or other suitable material,which rings are mounted upon the end portions 7 of a sleeve or bushing8, having a threaded passage 9 of suitable form and character whereby itis mounted upon and secured to the supporting rod or shaft 4, so as toallow the gripping device as a whole to have rotary movement. A keyway 9is formed upon each sleeve or bushing to receive a key 9", fitted in alike keyway in the shaft 4, so that the gripping rings when adjustedwill be fixed to the shaft against independent rotation. The rings areformed to present outer and inner gripping surfaces or ridges 10 and 11,at t e intersections of portions, and said rings are disposed and heldin properly spaced relation by an interposed bushing 12 carried by asleeve and preferably formed as Any suitable means for ends of whichopenings 13 are formed to receive a portion of the screw heads. Seats oropenings 15 are provided inthe sides of the rings and intersect theirbores, which openings are designed to receive the projecting portions ofthe screw heads when the rings are arranged to face in either direction,so as to fasten the rings upon the sleeve against casual disconnection,while at the same time allowing them to be removed for reversal, ashereinafter described.

In the use of the device, it will be understood that the outer pripheraledges 10 of the gripping rings of each set of grippers at opposite sidesof the turn table are ar ranged in position to grip the stem or tube 3,

' whereby the stem or tube is fixed to rotate with the turn table but ispermitted under certain conditions to move vertically, in which verticalmovement of the stem or tube the grippers turn with their supportingaxles, in course of time the edges 10 become worn, or present softspots, rendering them inefiective for use for a secure gripping action.The respective grippers may then be reversed, side for side, onthelrsupports to present the corresponding edges of the outer rings foruse, and when the outer edges of both rings of each gripper become wornthe edges 10 may be presented for use by simply reversing the rings sidefor side upon the ends ofthe sleeve 7. These modes of adjustment, inaddition to the capacity of the rings to be dressed to certain degrees,enables the rings to be employed for a much greater period than grippingrings con structed and mounted in the usual manner,

and also efiects a saving of time and labor in not requiring the work tobe stopped and the rings to be-dressecl at such frequent intervals.

I claim 1- 1. A gripper for pipe-rotaries, comprising asupportingsleeve, gripping ringsreversibly mounted upon the ends of thesleeve, means for holding said rings in spaced relation, and fasteningmeans for connecting the rings with the sleeve in either of theiroperative positions. 7

2. A gripper for pipe-rotaries, comprising a supporting sleeve, grippingrings reversibly mounted upon'the ends'of the sleeve, a

spacing member integral with the sleeve, said member belng of lessdiameter than the rings to hold'the same in spaced relation, andfastening means for interchangeably holding the gripping rings in eitherof their working positions. 7 v

In testimony whereof I aifiX my signature in presence'of two witnesses.GEO. S. MYERS.

Witnesses:

' GEORGE F. Kninsnr,

A. N. Tnnncn.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Iatents,

- Washington, D. G

